Dollar Cost Averaging

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Dollar cost averaging is long-term investment strategy in which a fixed dollar amount is added to an investment on a regular schedule, regardless of the market price of the security. Dollar cost averaging is also called a constant dollar plan. Since an investment's share price fluctuates, by following a dollar cost averaging strategy, more shares are bought when the share price is low, and fewer shares when the share price rises. Over time, dollar cost averaging results in a lower average cost per share than a plan that involves purchasing a equal number of shares at each interval. Dollar cost averaging is a popular way to invest in mutual funds, and investing regularly through dividend reinvestment plans is a form of dollar cost averaging. While dollar cost averaging reduces the risk of investing a lump sum in a single investment at the wrong time, dollar cost averaging does not guarantee the investor a profit.